Image processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program

An image processing method for generating a color image in which each pixel has a plurality of color components and a uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to optical intensity on the basis of a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image in which each pixel has one of the plurality of color components and is captured with one of a plurality of sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity, the method comprising:

• an extraction step of extracting a predetermined area centered on a pixel of interest, which is an object to be processed, from the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image;
• a generation step of making uniform the sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity of pixels included in the predetermined area extracted in the extraction step and generating local area information including the pixels, each pixel having one of the plurality of color components and the uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to the optical intensity;
• an edge detection step of detecting an edge of the local area information on the basis of, of the pixels included in the local area information, pixels having a first color component;
• a first interpolation step of interpolating the first color component associated with the pixel of interest by computing a weighted average using, of the pixels included in the local area information, the pixels having the first color component on the basis of the direction of the edge detected in the edge detection step;
• a statistic-information computing step of computing statistic information on the basis of the pixels included in the local area information;
• and
• a second interpolation step of interpolating a color component other than the first color component associated with the pixel of interest on the basis of the first color component associated with the pixel of interest, which is interpolated in the first interpolation step, and the statistic information.

A recording medium having a computer-readable program recorded thereon for generating a color image in which each pixel has a plurality of color components and a uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to optical intensity on the basis of a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image in which each pixel has one of the plurality of color components and is captured with one of a plurality of sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity, the program comprising:

• an extraction step of extracting a predetermined area centered on a pixel of interest, which is an object to be processed, from the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image;
• a generation step of making uniform the sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity of pixels included in the predetermined area extracted in the extraction step and generating local area information including the pixels, each pixel having one of the plurality of color components and the uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to the optical intensity;
• an edge detection step of detecting an edge of the local area information on the basis of, of the pixels included in the local area information, pixels having a first color component;
• a first interpolation step of interpolating the first color component associated with the pixel of interest by computing a weighted average using, of the pixels included in the local area information, the pixels having the first color component on the basis of the direction of the edge detected in the edge detection step;
• a statistic-information computing step of computing statistic information on the basis of the pixels included in the local area information;
• and
• a second interpolation step of interpolating a color component other than the first color component associated with the pixel of interest on the basis of the first color component associated with the pixel of interest, which is interpolated in the first interpolation step, and the statistic information.

A program for generating a color image in which each pixel has a plurality of color components and a uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to optical intensity on the basis of a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image in which each pixel has one of the plurality of color components and is captured with one of a plurality of sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity, the program causing a computer to perform a process comprising:

• an extraction step of extracting a predetermined area centered on a pixel of interest, which is an object to be processed, from the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image;
• a generation step of making uniform the sensitivity characteristics relative to the optical intensity of pixels included in the predetermined area extracted in the extraction step and generating local area information including the pixels, each pixel having one of the plurality of color components and the uniform sensitivity characteristic relative to the optical intensity;
• an edge detection step of detecting an edge of the local area information on the basis of, of the pixels included in the local area information, pixels having a first color component;
• a first interpolation step of interpolating the first color component associated with the pixel of interest by computing a weighted average using, of the pixels included in the local area information, the pixels having the first color component on the basis of the direction of the edge detected in the edge detection step;
• a statistic-information computing step of computing statistic information on the basis of the pixels included in the local area information;
• and
• a second interpolation step of interpolating a color component other than the first color component associated with the pixel of interest on the basis of the first color component associated with the pixel of interest, which is interpolated in the first interpolation step, and the statistic information.